At least six explosions struck Thursday near the presidential palace used by Yemen's internationally recognised government forces and the Saudi-led coalition that supports them in the port city of Aden, witnesses said. Five people were killed and 16 wounded, reported Yemen's health minister, with Iran-backed Houthi rebels based in northern Yemen quickly claiming responsibility. It was a rare attack on the palace area, as fighting continues to escalate between the rebels and the Yemen-Saudi coalition in the latest front of the Iran war.
The explosions caused panic among residents who fled the area. War escalates between Houthis and Riyadh: How did we get here? To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement.
One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site. An initial estimate put two dead and six wounded according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity, before the health minister shared updated figures.
The government said the Houthis attacked with missiles and drones, Aden-based SABA news agency reported. A security official said at least two explosions took place on top of the hill near the Maashiq palace, and two others were near the security gate. Many of Yemen's government leaders remain living in exile, with those in Aden staying safe from the attack, another government official said.
The Houthis said they attacked a military operations headquarters where the “Saudi enemy" was located– part of a strategy that has included attacking airports and oil infrastructure within the Saudi kingdom itself. The escalation has complicated efforts to end the wider Iran war and further rattled global markets as Saudi Arabia–one of the world's top oil exporters, faces repeated attacks. Regional aviation is affectedtoo as the rebels have warned airlines about their plans to use of Saudi airspace for attacks.
Thousands of flights across the kingdom have been disrupted. Earlier Thursday, the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said it intercepted a cruise missile over the Saudi province of Medina. Flightradar 24, a tracking platform, said dozens of flights were cancelled or delayed at Jeddah airport.
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